How do economizers affect centrifugal chiller performance?

Economizers play a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency of centrifugal chillers by utilizing outdoor air to provide additional cooling. When an economizer is employed, it allows the system to leverage favorable outdoor temperatures to reduce the workload on the chiller. As a result, the chiller can maintain or even increase its cooling capacity without a proportional increase in power consumption.

This optimization occurs because the economizer effectively supplements the cooling load by using cooler outdoor air, allowing the chiller to operate at higher efficiencies. This leads to increased capacity for the same power input, demonstrating the economic advantage of using economizers in HVAC systems. In essence, with proper implementation, economizers can significantly boost the performance and efficiency of centrifugal chillers, making them an essential component in modern HVAC design.

Other choices may imply a decrease in capacity or constant capacity, which do not account for the ability of economizers to enhance cooling by minimizing reliance on mechanical cooling when conditions are favorable. The option regarding maintenance is also less relevant in the context of performance measurement, focusing instead purely on operational efficiency.